Is it true that the carbon released from the manufacturing of a wind turbine is far greater than the carbon saved by substituting wind power for carbon based power?

Interesting and important question and several large scale studies using Harmonized Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) show wind is twice the price of fossil fuel generation but much lower emissions. Are these studies including health impacts etc… What is more important?

These Harmonized LCAs attempt to cover the full life of the source, from material & fuel mining, through construction, to operation, maintenace and waste management.

Below is just one of several articles with links to the actual studies:

I didn’t read the entire studies but noticed it says it includes waste mgmt and harmonized to try and add or remove parts in the different studies so they are comparing properly. I am sure there is some studies or claims that dont include the repressing costs of the windmill post life cycle or recycling the lubrication oil which in some cases maybe contaminating if not handled safely or the carbon costs and precious metals (mostly controlled by China?) needed to build, maintain or dismantle a renewable energy or fossil fuel power plant or source not included but hopefully the harmonization process factored all these in.

Unfortunately greed frequently gets in the way of doing what is best overall whether it be research, health or environmental impact assesment, construction or operation etc…

Fusion maybe the way to go if it can be done safely and cost effectively. Several smaller reactors being developed in Canada and the larger international projects.

There is also recent break throughs in using tungsten in catalysts for splitting water into Hydrogen and Oxygen for storing energy and using in fuel cells. Hopefully these safer and greener technologies develope in time to combat climate change.

Earths climate has already changed many times in the past. It is just the rate of change that is alarming based on ice core samples, glarciers and other research that looks at changes over millions of years.

I have visited several glaciers in NZ, Canada and the US and many have dramatically retreated and reduced in height or are gone since I was there. These have gotten bigger and smaller and come and gone in the past but never retreated this rapidly. I hope there is still some for my grand kids to experience as adults. See link below.

NASA’s latest research is showing ice sheet expansion in parts of Antartica but overall gloabaly it still decreasing. Link below.

Some hate pollution but see climate change no longer being science and becoming religion.

I guess time will tell. Hopefully the doom sayers are wrong and warnings from well respected monetary policy leaders like Mark Carney to pension managers and others about divesting in fossil fuel companies are not nessessary but do we want to risk it?
Link with more info below.

Maybe we can use technology to slow climate change and or improve space travel so if we fail or it all goes horribly wrong and we cause an ice age we can find some where else to live. If we keep finding ways to live longer we will probably have no choice. Did you sign up for Mars One or sign up your relatives 🙂

97% of active climate experts say man made climate change is real, happening faster than ever and recommend more research on the impacts .http://wp.me/p1fJaD-9B